Oil-well apparatus



E. A. CULBERTSON OIL WELL APPARATUS March 1'7, 1925. lgs'z'sm Filed July 6, 1925 Patented Mar. 17, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IDWABD A. CULBEBTSON, 0F WICHITA, KANSAS.

OIL-TELL APPARATUS.

Application led July 6,

To all 'wlwm .it may concem:

Be it known that I, EDWARD A. CULBERT' son, a citizen of the United States, residinoF at Wichita, in the county of Sedgwick and State of Kansas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Oil-Well Apparatus, of which the'following is a specication.

It is good practice vafter a deep well lis drilled to use the walking beam of the drill rig which drilled the well. Especially is this so where the well is a deep one. In the case of this kind the well tubing is provided with an extension and stuiiing box through which the rod connecting the walking beam lwith the cpump rod is attached. This connecting ro is locally known in some communities as the olished rod. In constructions of this kin this connecting rod is quite long and bends more cr less due to the eect of the combined oscillatory movement or sideI sway of the reciprocating pivoted walking beam and the vertical reciprocating motion of the pump rod connection. l

This bending of the rod generally takes place in or about the stuiiin box, the side strains causing the packin -t erein to wear out quite quickly. In a dition the metal parts of the st'uiling box are subject to unduewear on opposite sides.

I have succeeded in overcoming this excessive wear on the box and its packing by employing a ball and socket pivot joint at one end of the stuffing box and forming virtually a art thereof. The function of' my improve construction permits the stuffing box and ackin to move with the side sway or bending of t e connecting rod. As a result I obviate such friction between the box, the packin and the rod.

One exampli cation in ractice of my invention is shown in t e accompanying drawings.

Fi re 1 represents a 'longitudinal secn tiona view embodying in invention.

Figure 2 is a cross section on the line 2-2 of Fig-'1.

lFigure 3 is an exterior view of one portion of the stuing box and flexible joint.

Figure 4 is l." vertical elevationof one of the halves of the lower element of the flexible ball and socket joint.

In the drawings 1 represents the connecting rod, sometimes termed 'the polished rod which connects the um rod in the well tubing to the walking am of the well 192s. serial in. 649,859.'

frame or derrick. 2 is a tubular oil connection which is attached to the top ofthe well tube in theusual approved way and' has at its vupper endan internal thread. 4The .top of the tube 2 carries one of the elements 3 oi the ball and socket joint havin threads andadapted to be screwedgliome into the top of the tubing 2. The part 3 is made in halves, as will be later described, for the purpose of embracing the male head 4 of the upper portion ofthe ball and socket'joint.

This head 4 is preferably made integral with i the stung box 5 and is formedon the lower end thereof. The box 5 is tubular in shape and provided with a cylindrical cavity which receives the connecting rod 1 andthe acking 6. The upper part of the stufiing Box 5 1s closed by a gland 7 slidable in thev end of the box opposite the socketl head 4. A screw threaded cap 8 enga ing the correspon-ding thread on the stu g box serves to adjust the gland and the packin within the stuffing box so as to make a tig t joint between the same. v

thrust ball bearing 9 between the cap 8 and the gland 7 for the pur ose of more accurately and delicately adjusting the desired ressure upon the packing in the stuiing ox. l

In assembling 'the ball and socket joint the two halves 3 of the female socket are screwed into the top of the welltubin 2, the male end of the socket 4 of the stu g box being previously inserted between the halved socket members 3. A key 10 fitting in a keyway 11 in the stuing box and in a corresponding keyway 12 in one of the ball' socket joint. In this position suitable binding clamps 14 firmly bind the flexible sleeve tothe parts. C

A construction such as I have indicated permits the nary flexure of the connect ossibly pass through the ex` `80. Wherever desirable I may interpose a ing rod 1 due to such installation as I have above described. This side exure of the connecting rodis taken care of by the ball and socket -3-4 and all Astrain upon the packing and stuing box and the metal parts 'cozposln'g the same is entirel7 obviated.

invention while especia adapted for use m oil wells is capable of other uses in the arts.

The lfranchise here sought is as broad and comprehensive as the claim which follows.

Claimz' In a drilling apparatus, the combination of a casing and a stuffing box thereon, a vertical reciprocating 'drill rod passing through the casing and stuiing box, a ball and socket connection between the? fstuing box andcasing, and an exterior flexible uid ti ht sleeve housing surrounding the ball an socket connection.

EDWARD A. oULBERTsoN. 

